The Thing About Lily's
by SirEvy
Summary: This is the simple love story of-wait, what am I saying? This is Lily Evans and James Potter we're talking about. Nothing is ever simple where those two are concerned. (Expect lots of drama)
1. Prologue

**A/N: **_I think I hate myself. Why do I do this to myself? I'm already working on five stories as is, why did I have to add a fifth one into the picture? Alright, so I had sat down to type up the seventh chapter of my other story, AMT, but I somehow ended up typing this instead. I guess this will be a sort of companion piece to A Marauder's Tale, told entirely from Lily and her friend's POV. Or maybe I'll take it in a different direction? Idk. We'll see. _

_Anywho, this is just the Prologue people. The chapters will definitely get longer. I'm not expecting much people to read this first chapter, so i don't know why I'm even bothering to add this A/N, but here you go._

**Disclaimer_:_ **_I could come up with something witty about me not owning Harry Potter, but I'm too tired right now-it's 2am where I'm from. And besides, I think I already did. So :p_

* * *

**Prologue**

The sun set over the small town, as the people retreated into their large, brick homes for the day. A few streetlamps flickered to life here and there, lighting the streets with their warm glow. The darkened water flew peacefully, reflecting the warm rays of the setting sun, although nobody could have ever described it as beautiful.

Almost nothing about Cokeworth could be described as such. It was a town like any other, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing special about it.

If anyone ventured into the outskirts of the town, they would find the nicer part of Cokeworth, where the houses were just a tad nicer with better-kept lawns and happy families inhabiting them, full of laughter and love.

In such a house lived Mr and Mrs Evans. Mr Evans was a respected and admired man in the small town—being a police officer certainly had its perks. Mrs Evans, on the other hand, was a housewife, whose treacle tart recipe and rose garden were the envy of the town. They were remarkably friendly by nature and kept their house in tip-top shape. Everyone loved them; not one person had an ill thing to say about them.

The couple had two daughters, who were their pride and joy. Petunia was the eldest of the two, with hair as yellow as the sun that was always neatly combed and eyes a bright ocean blue. She was a well-behaved, smart, young girl and seemed to be quite popular amongst her peers.

Lily was their youngest and quite possible the prettiest of the two. She had lovely hair that flew down her back in dark red curls and emerald green eyes that often shone kindly. She was the livelier of the two and could always be counted on having a kind word for everyone she met. She didn't have many friends, save for that Snape boy who lived in Spinner's End. She could often be found with her nose stuck in a book down by the lake just north of her house, reading of untold adventures and spine-tingling mysteries.

Yes, the Evans' were just another normal family, nothing out special about them.

However, normal was the last thing on the Evans' mind on this particular summer evening.

Young Lily was sat on her small portion of garden her mother had allowed her. It was adorned with dozens of sunflowers which she had carefully planted and cared for since she was nine. They were her favourite kind of flowers. She loved their warm, yellow colour, which she often wore herself, despite the fact that it clashed horribly with her red hair. She loved the way they seemed to grow strong and proud and tall and oozed of confidence and happiness.

It was her favourite place to sit and draw, which she happened to be doing right now. She heard a knock on her front door and she paused momentarily, wondering who it could be. She knew it couldn't possibly be Severus, her best friend, because he had taken to open the door whenever he came over—only after much insistence from the Evans', of course.

She could hear her mother talking to someone, a man it appeared, only catching a gist of what they were saying. She was about to return to her work, when the man said something that caught her attention:

"I am Albus Percival Wulfric Dumbledore…"

She frowned; the name rang a bell. She was certain she had heard it somewhere before. She set her materials aside and rose from her seat, walking closer to the kitchen window so she could hear more clearly.

"Whatever about?" she heard her mother asking.

"It is concerning your youngest daughter." A woman's voice spoke now and Lily froze. "We've come to offer her a spot in one of the most prestigious wizarding schools in all of Britain."

Her eyes grew wide as she stepped away from the window, finally remembering where, or rather from whom, she had heard the name.

When Petunia had first told their parents about what Severus had said to them, they had dismissed it as a game. Lily's insistence that Hogwarts was real and that magic existed had also been dismissed as a childhood fantasy and they had even humoured her for a while, buying her a witch's costume and fake wand.

Now, at long last, they would have proof that Hogwarts was indeed real. That magic really did exist.

She stepped closer to the window, trying very hard to hear what was being discussed. She had missed half their conversation already and it took her a few moments to understand what they were talking about.

"Has your daughter shown any signs of magic?" the unfamiliar woman's voice asked.

"Well, our eldest daughter claims she can do…_things. _Like moving stuff around the room and makingthe petals of a flower open and close on their own. But, to be honest, we never paid much attention to it."

"Impressive," the woman murmured.

"Indeed. Ms Evans has shown to be a remarkably talented witch, despite her young age."

"Are you sure Lily's a witch?" she heard father asking. "I mean, isn't magic hereditary or something?"

"Certainly," the woman spoke once more. "But we have found that many Muggle-borns, which is a term used to describe magical beings with nonmagical parents, have at least one magical ancestor somewhere along the line."

"But I don't know anyone in my family who could possibly be magical," her father said, his confusion evident in his voice. "Do you, dear?"

"No, I don't—oh!" Her mother gasped and Lily frowned.

"What is it?"

"Well, I did have a relative, my great-great-great aunt or something like that," her mother spoke slowly. "She claimed to be a witch, but we never believed her. We all thought she was a bit mad."

"And you never thought to tell me that your great-great-great aunt was a witch?" her father asked and, although he didn't raise his voice, she could hear the sternness in it. "That there was the slightest chance one of our daughters could be like her?"

"Well, how I supposed to know she wasn't completely mental?" her mother asked hotly.

Her father sighed. "I'm sorry, dear. I'm a bit shocked, 's all."

"Well, she did try telling us Harold," her mother spoke softly, letting out a small sigh. "I suppose you'd like to speak to Lily now?"

"If it wouldn't be too much of a bother..."

"No, of course not. Lily!" her mother called and Lily automatically stepped away from the window, as if afraid her mother would know she had been eavesdropping.

"Yes, Mum?" she called back.

"Can you come here for a minute, dear?" her father's voice answered.

"Coming, Daddy," she said, walking slowly toward the backdoor.

Although she had been waiting for this day for years, dreaming about it just as much, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. And excited, definitely excited. Today was the day she would receive her letter to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, would officially become a part of the Wizarding World.

She walked slowly to the sitting room, taking the opportunity to observe the newcomers. The man was one of the strangest men she had ever encountered. He was old, older than her grandfather was, with a long, silver beard and matching hair. Perhaps the strangest thing about him was his attire, which consisted of lime green robes with swirling galaxies and silver moons and a matching pointed hat. He was certainly a sight to see here in the small town of Cokeworth, where everyone talked, breathed and thought the same.

The woman was much younger than he, perhaps in her twenties and wore a dark blue business suit. She had black hair that was pulled into a bun and her eyes shone kindly behind her round spectacles.

The man smiled at her, his piercing blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles that sat on top of his long, crooked nose.

"You must be Ms Evans," he said, rising from his seat. "I am Professor Dumbledore of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Pleased to meet you," Lily responded softly, shaking the hand he was offering.

"Addison Brookes," the woman spoke, giving her a small smile as she too shook her hand. Once Lily had been seated between her parents, who both had equally awestruck expressions on their faces, she spoke again. "We are here because you have been accepted to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is one of Britain's most prestigious magical schools and you will find it has a lot to offer you, should you wish to attend."

Brookes looked at her expectantly, as if awaiting her affirmation that she indeed would attend the school. Lily bit her lip, turning to her parents.

"Mum, Dad?" she asked tentatively, looking to her mum. "C-can I attend?"

Mrs Evans bit her lip, before turning to look hopefully at her husband and Lily followed her gaze. Mr Evans frowned as he rested his hand on his chin, staring off into the distance, lost in thought. Lily recoiled slightly, afraid he might tell her no, she couldn't go, when she suddenly, his face lit up. He turned to her, giving her a smile.

"Of course you can go, pumpkin. You know I could never tell you no. It's just—my daughter's a witch!" He laughed, as if he were just getting over his shock. "You can do magic!"

Lily grinned, turning to look at Mrs Evans. "Mum?"

"Is it really what you want, dear?" Lily nodded fervently and her mother smiled warmly. "Then I don't see why not."

"Yes!" Lily squealed, barely able to contain her excitement.

"I believe you already knew about Hogwarts," Professor Dumbledore said, more than a statement than a question, his voice amused.

Lily turned to him, nodding a bit. "My friend Severus explained it to me a few years ago."

Brookes smiled. "I believe this is for you."

The dark-haired woman withdrew a letter from the small portfolio on her lap and handed it to Lily. She took it with excitement hands, grinning widely as she read the green words scrawled on the heavy parchment.

_Ms Lily Renee Evans_

_The Second Bedroom_

_Number 3, Magnolia Street_

_Cokeworth_

"Inside you will find a list of all the supplies needed for your first year and your train ticket," Brookes explained. "You can purchase your things at Diagon Alley."

"Diagon Alley?" Mrs Evans asked.

"It is where all Hogwarts students do their shopping," Professor Dumbledore explained. "It's located in London, but you needn't worry about that. I believe Brookes has already arranged for someone to show you around."

"Yes," Brookes said, consulting a list. "Many of our wizarding family's volunteer as guides for our Muggle-borns…ah here it is. The McKinnons will meet you August 7 in Charring Cross Road. It is on a Saturday, but if there is any inconvenience, we can rearrange a later date…"

"No, August 7 will be fine," Mrs Evans affirmed.

"Excellent. Now, you should bring along some money to exchange at Gringotts—that's the wizarding bank." Brookes paused, overlooking the Evans' confused expressions. Lily smiled. She would have to explain to her parent's all about the wizarding currency, not that she was an expert on the subject herself. "Now, what am I forgetting? Oh, yes. To get onto Platform 9¾, walk through the bricks between Platforms 9 and 10. The train leaves at 11:00 am on September 1st. Any questions?"

Lily shook her head and Brookes smiled. "Alright, then. I believe that is it." She stood up, leaving Lily's parents still sitting, looking equally confused. "It's been a pleasure meeting you all."

"What?" Mrs Evans looked up, a blank expression on her face. She noticed Brookes outstretched hand and it seemed to snap her out of her reverie. "Oh, yes. It was nice meeting you, too."

Lily stayed sitting as her parents' exchanged formal farewells with their guests. _I'm going. I'm really, really going, _she told herself over and over again.

"I believe I'll see you September 1st, Ms Evans?" a voice spoke and Lily looked up to see Professor Dumbledore standing over her, giving her a smile.

"Yes, Professor," Lily said, returning his smile.

He nodded, walking toward the door after Brooks. He turned, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Just a warning, Gringotts is run by goblins."

* * *

Lily let out a small squeal as she read the letter in her hands for what seemed like the umpteenth time. She couldn't believe she was really going to Hogwarts. She had known of Hogwarts, of course, but she was much like that Saint Thomas she had learnt about in Sunday school: she had to see it, to believe it.

Petunia, who was sat on her bed on the other side of the room, shot her an annoyed look. She had certainly been moody ever since her parents' had informed her of the exciting news.

Petunia had gone into a frenzy as usual, calling Lily a freak and whatnot, and Lily, being Lily, had fought back, calling her a snobbish prude, among other things. Needless to say, both girls had been sent to their room.

Not that Lily cared. She was too excited.

"Can you keep it down over there, freak?" she snapped snidely, before turning back to the telephone conversation she was having. "Oh, no, not you, Cynthia, I was talking to Lily. Yes, she's being a nuisance as always…"

Lily bit her lip as she tore her gaze away from her sister, trying very hard to ignore the longing inside of her. There had been a time when Petunia had been her best friend and both girls had been inseparable. But then Lily had met Severus and had learned of his world—_her_ world, where magic was real and everything was possible. Things had never been the same between Petunia and her.

She missed her sister, sometimes.

_At I still have Sev_, Lily thought to herself as her gaze fell back to the letter in her hands. _And Hogwarts. _She smiled a bit at that thought.

Hogwarts was real and she was going to attend it and learn magic and be extraordinary.

Whatever her sister said, she wasn't a freak.

* * *

**A/N: **_If, for some reason, you're reading AMT, then I have a question for you: should I make this a companion piece to that story, or make this a new story altogether? _


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** _I suspect you're right_**, Lollipop Love 1998, **_so I'll just leave this as separate story :) Thank you for being my first reviewer (Yay, you!) and just wanted to let you know that i went back and changed the prologue a bit, because it just wasn't working for me, just so you know._

_Anywho, if you're reading this, would it be too much to ask for you to leave a review? Even if you don't like my writing, at least then I'll know what I have to work on. Thanks!_

**Disclaimer: **_Yeah, no I don't own Harry Potter. Never have, never will. Unless I can somehow trick Rowling into giving me the rights to it and sadly, I don't see that happening anytime soon. _

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_Dear Tuney,_

_I know you didn't mean to call me a freak, but it hurt a bit. Dad says you didn't mean it, that you're going through a rough time right now and you're going to say loads of things you don't mean, but that doesn't mean you don't love me. _

_So I guess I forgive you because you're my sister and I love you, too._

_And I'm sorry for calling you a snobbish prude. And an ignorant toerag. And I'm sorry for pulling your hair. _

_I wish I could have apologised in person, but you're refusing to speak to me. Dad says I have to be patient with you and he suggested I write you this letter. I don't know if I'll actually give it to you, but I feel loads better now that I've written it._

_Love, Lily_

~_LRE~_

"All set, pumpkin?"

Lily looked up from her finished letter to see her father standing in the doorway of her bedroom, giving her that smile he reserved just for her. She smoothed the hem of her yellow sundress before setting the letter under her pillow, giving her father a smile of her own as she rose from her bed.

"Yes, Daddy," she replied as she walked to him, taking the hand he was offering her.

She looked back over her shoulder to her sister's side of the room, which was now empty. Ever since she could remember, they had slept in the same room, but, following Lily's acceptance into Hogwarts, Petunia had yelled and cried and pouted until their father had given in to her wishes and given her the spacious bedroom they had reserved for the guests.

She let out a small sigh as she tore her eyes away from the empty space back to her father.

He was in his late forties, but still as handsome as the pictures on the mantelpiece downstairs of when he was younger showed him to be, even with his already greying honey-coloured hair not quite as yellow as Petunia's and bright blue eyes. He was tall and robust, with broad shoulders and large, strong arms that were intimidating to some, but warm and comfortable to Lily.

He gave her small hand a gentle squeeze as he led her down the stairs and Lily couldn't help but direct her gaze at their joined hands. She couldn't help but note the difference between them both. While her father's skin was tan, due to his work as an officer in which he spent countless hours outside, hers was pale and milky—porcelain skin she had heard her mother say once.

And the differences didn't stop there. Her father was more of a gentle soul, capable of being stern when he had to be and very set in his rules. Lily, on the other hand, was more unpredictable, being able to go from one mood to the other in a blink of an eye. Her father tended to be more of the reserved, quiet kind, raising only his voice when he absolutely had to and Lily found that she had no problem raising her voice and could be outspoken when she wanted to be, often saying exactly what was on her mind.

But, despite these differences, Lily and her father were rather close, closer than any girls her age were to their own fathers. She was often teased about their nearness, but Lily found she didn't care in the slightest.

She heard her dad chuckle lightly beside her, snapping her out of her thoughts. Lily tore her gaze from her father's hands and looked up to find him staring at someone in front of them.

She followed his gaze, blinking a few times as she took in her surroundings; she was surprised to find that they were now in the sitting room. She could see her mother frantically running around, muttering something under her breath, her dark red curls pulled up in a neat bun on top of her head.

"What are you doing, Mum?"

Her mum turned at the sound of her voice, her green eyes finding hers. She was a strikingly beautiful woman with the same shade of hair and eyes as her daughter. Lily had once heard it say that she was the spitting image of her mother, and she supposed it was true. They both had the same almond-shaped eyes, same creamy complexion, petite stature and regal nose that was spotted daintily with a few freckles.

They also had the same temperament, which often caused disagreements between the two, but those were rare and Lily tried to avoid them as much as possible. While she didn't have the same relationship with her mother as she had with her father, she loved them both dearly.

"Lily, I'm sorry dear, but I just can't find the list that Professor gave us," Mrs Evans said, sighing in exasperation.

Mr Evans laughed heartily as he extracted an official looking letter from the front pocket of his uniform; he wouldn't be accompanying them, seeing as he was due at work in fifteen minutes.

"Could it possibly be this one?" he asked in an amused voice.

"Harold," Mrs Evans said in a scolding tone as she crossed the distance between them. "I've been looking all over for that."

"Well, Rosie, I didn't know you were looking all over for it," Harold replied, his voice full of mirth. "And I would have thought you knew I had it, seeing as you gave it to me, dear."

"I did not," Rose replied, although she didn't sound quite as sure as she would have liked. Harold merely smiled at his wife as she turned to their daughter, placing a stray curl that had found its way out of her yellow hairband behind her ear. "Are you ready, dear?"

"Yes, Mum," Lily replied, giving her mum a bright smile.

Her mother returned her smile as she straightened herself. "Alright, I believe we have everything then." She turned to Mr Evans, giving him a quick peck. "We'll see you at dinner."

Her father smiled, before turning to Lily, ruffling her hair slightly. "Have fun, pumpkin."

* * *

The ride to London had been a short one and Lily had spent most of it sitting in seat next to her mother, musing over her upcoming year. She had half-wished that Petunia would have accompanied them, but she had made it very clear to Lily the night previous that she would have to drag her dead body there first, before she got anywhere close to Lily and her 'freakiness'—those had been her exact words.

It had stung a bit, but it didn't bother Lily as much as it should have. This had to do more with her excitement about finally being a part of the Wizarding World than anything else.

She was now walking behind her mother, her eyes scanning through the crowd for the McKinnons. They were a family of three, Brookes had informed them, who, according to her, would be distinguishable amongst the Muggles. How that could be possible, though, was beyond her. No one here looked magical; Lily suspected that even if there were any wizards amongst the crowd, she wouldn't be able to distinguish them.

"Now, let's see," Rose murmured absentmindedly, extracting the instructions Brookes had left for them. "If this is correct the Leaky Cauldron should be around here somewhere…"

Lily stopped, her gaze falling on a family of two, an older woman and a young girl her age that fit Brooke's description, standing in front of a shabby building trying so hard to fit in that they stood out. An old wooden sigh hung above them and Lily could barely make out the words written on them: The Leaky Cauldron.

She suspected she was the only person who could see the building, seeing as the passer-by's brushed past it. Her suspicions were confirmed when her mother walked past without a second glance.

"Mum," Lily called, running to catch up to her mother. "I think I found it."

"Really?" Rose looked up from the piece of parchment in her hands. "Where?"

Lily pointed in the direction of the shabby building. Her mum frowned, squinting in the direction she was pointing.

"I don't see it," Rose started, before letting out a small gasp. "Well bless my soul, we walked right past it."

As if sensing their gaze, the young girl turned to her, a curious look in her deep, blue eyes, before turning to the woman beside her. The woman followed her gaze, giving the Evans' a warm smile as she approached them.

"You must be the Evans'?" the woman asked kindly.

Rose nodded, returning the woman's smile. "And you must be the McKinnons?"

"Yes, I'm Elizabeth McKinnon," the woman said, extending her hand for her mother to shake.

Lily looked away as the women exchanged the usual pleasantries, her eyes falling to the pretty girl with the blue eyes. She was a whole inch taller than Lily, she could tell, with long, black hair that fell down her back, past her waist. She was wearing a dark blue dress that made the colour of her eyes stand out; Lily noted that she looked uncomfortable in it by the way she kept fidgeting.

The girl frowned as she eyed her curiously. "What's the deal with all the yellow?" she asked in a confident voice that held a hint of mischief, signalling to Lily's outfit.

"Marley!" Mrs McKinnon scolded.

"I'm sorry, Mother," the girl replied, not sounding sorry at all. She turned to look at Lily, an amused look in her face.

Lily crossed her arms, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. "I happen to like the colour yellow," she replied a bit defensively.

The girl laughed. "I didn't mean to be rude, just curious. Normally people with red hair stay away from the colour yellow. It clashes horribly with their hair, or at least that's why my aunt says. She has red hair, too, and she refuses to go anywhere near it." The girl paused, before smiling. "Although, it _does_ look nice on you."

"Well, um, thank you, I guess."

The girl grinned. "I like you. Not too snobbish. Maybe a bit girly, but we can always work on that. I'm Marlene McKinnon by the way," she said, extending her hand.

Lily shook her hand, returning her grin in spite of herself. "Lily Renee Evans."

"Well, nice to meet you, Lily Renee."

"I usually just go by Lily, but I like my middle name…" she trailed off and she could feel herself blushing.

The girl grinned. "I like my middle name, too; Alexandrie. My mother's part French," she said, pointing her hand in her mother's direction.

"We should get going," Mrs McKinnon said, interrupting the girls' conversation.

Mrs McKinnon opened the door to the pub, ushering them inside. If Lily had thought the building had been shabby-looking on the outside, it was nothing compared to the inside. It was rather small and dingy, crowded with odd-looking wizards and witches wearing floor-length robes, much like Professor Dumbledore's although not as flashy.

She noticed a man who didn't entirely look human talking to the bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. A plate of something that Lily suspected was raw meat sat in front of him and she had to suppress a shudder as she walked past them.

The old bartender extracted himself from his conversation long enough to wave at them, giving them a toothless smile.

"Hag," Marlene whispered to her as they passed an older woman sipping a tall glass of some purple liquid. Lily must have looked offended because Marlene laughed. "I meant her."

Lily smiled sheepishly as they made their way out of the pub into a small, walled courtyard and she frowned; so this was the famous Diagon Alley? Why, there was nothing there but a trash can and a few weeds!

She turned to look at Marlene, a questioning look on her face, but Marlene merely smirked, looking at her mother.

"Alright, let's see," Mrs McKinnon said, taking out her wand. "Three up...two across. Alright, stand back," she said, tapping the wall three times.

The brick she had touched quivered and in the middle a small hole appeared, growing larger and larger until it was big enough to let them both through. The archway led out onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.

Marlene turned to her, grinning widely. "Welcome to Diagon Alley."

Lily grinned widely as she stepped out onto the cobbled street, turning all around her in amazement, wishing for extra pair of eyes. If it hadn't been for Marlene linking her arm in hers, Lily might have tripped in her excitement; there was just so much to be seen: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping.

She caught snippets of their conversations, which ranged from discussions about the latest Quidditch game, whatever that was, to the growing price of dragon liver; Lily couldn't help but cringe a bit at that.

Her mother seemed to mirror her astonishment, craning her necks to get a better view of the shops, an awed smile on her face.

"That over there is Gringotts," Marlene whispered to her, pointing to the snowy white building they were headed toward, that towered over the other little shops. "And Flourish is Blotts is somewhere over there and Madame Malkins is right there and next to it is Amanuensis Quills and the Eyelops Owl Emporium…" Lily nodded as Marlene went about pointing out the different shops, trying to remember them all.

Marlene let out a small squeal as they passed a crowded shop with several tables adorning the outside of it. "Oh, Mother, can we please, please, please stop and get some ice cream?"

"We need to go to Gringotts first, Marlene, you know that," Mrs McKinnon reminded her.

"But you can go without us," the black-haired girl whined. "I still have some of my allowance money."

Mrs McKinnon raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think Lily wants to visit Gringotts? After all, it is her first time in Diagon Alley.

"Lily doesn't want to see them, right?" she asked, turning to look at her; Lily hesitated. She _did_ want to visit Gringotts and she was curious about seeing a goblin herself. But then again, ice cream _was_ her favourite treat. As if she had read her mind, Marlene said, "I'll give you a rundown of the goblins: they're short, ugly and incredibly rude. Fortescue's, on the other hand has the _best_ ice cream in the _world_."

Lily looked over her shoulder to her mother, and Rose smiled.

"If it is okay with Mrs McKinnon, then I don't see why not," she said and Marlene grinned, before turning to her own mother.

"Oh, please, please, Mother," she begged.

Mrs McKinnon chuckled, shaking her head as she muttered something under her breath that sounded oddly like '_I told Richard we shouldn't spoil her'_.

"Fine, I give up. But be sure to meet us back in Madam Malkin's in precisely fifteen minutes." Marlene didn't need telling twice; she grabbed a hold of Lily's hand, dragging her across the street to the shop. "And not a minute less," Mrs McKinnon called after them, but Lily suspected Marlene had stopped listening to her mother.

Marlene led her inside, where a kind-looking man stood behind the counter. "Hullo, Mr Fortescue."

"Why if it isn't my favourite customer!" he said in a cheery voice. "What'll it be today Marlene?"

"Same as usual," Marlene replied, giving the man a grin. "And one for my friend as well."

The man nodded. "Coming right up." With a wave of his wand he conjured two cones of chocolate ice-cream with chopped nuts and handed them to both girls.

Marlene paid for them, before leading them to an outside table, taking a seat across a young girl who appeared to be their age, with dark, brown curls that fell to her chin and bright green eyes, sipping a cup of something.

"Hullo, Alice," Marlene greeted the girl, "fancy seeing you here."

The girl looked up, giving them a bright smile. "Wotcher, Marlene! I was just waiting for Mother, but it _is_ nice having some company," the girl named Alice replied in a chirpy voice. She turned to Lily then, extending her hand. "I'm Alice Prince."

"Lily Evans," she replied, returning the girl's smile.

"Are you a first-year as well?" she asked and Lily nodded. Alice grinned. "Me as well. Have you any idea of what House you'll be in?"

Lily hesitated, before shaking her head. "Erm, no, not really. To be honest, I really don't understand the differences between the Houses, I just now there's four: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. My friend, Severus, says I should be in Slytherin, so I guess it'd be nice to be in that house."

Alice's eyes flew wide open and she choked on her drink, while Marlene stared at her in open disbelief.

"What did I say?" Lily fidgeted in her seat, feeling very self-conscious.

"Slytherin?" Marlene said. "You want to be in Slytherin? Are you mental?"

"What's wrong with Slytherin?" Lily asked, feeling slightly defensive.

"Nothing, if you're looking to be a Dark Wizard," Marlene replied hotly. "That House is nothing but trouble, Lily. They're all just a bunch of bigoted, stuck-up arses."

Lily frowned, feeling her frustration rising. "Bigoted? You're the one who's sounding like a bigot at the moment."

Marlene narrowed her eyes dangerously and Alice jumped in, before she could say anything.

"It's not like that at all, Lily. What Marlene was trying to say is that," she hesitated, looking uncomfortable for a moment. "Well, let's just say that some wizards think of themselves as being more _important_, than other wizards. Slytherin is full of them."

"But that's rubbish!" Lily replied in disbelief. "Aren't we all the same?"

Marlene snorted. "Try telling _them_ that. _Wars_ have been fought over the stupid belief that Pure-bloods are better than Half-bloods and Muggle-borns."

Lily frowned; Pure-bloods? Severus hadn't mentioned any of this.

"Pure-bloods means not to having any Muggle descent in your family, which is what Marlene and I would be considered," Alice explained, noticing Lily's confused look. "And Half-bloods have at _least_ one Muggle ancestor somewhere along the line. It's a load of rubbish, really."

"Well, then, I don't get it. If you two are Pure-bloods, then why are you here, talking to me?"

Marlene, who had been busy biting into her ice-cream, suddenly shot her head up, her blue eyes flashing defiantly. "Because _we_ are nothing like _them," _she said fiercely. "_We_ don't think we're better than anyone else, just because we're 'Pure-bloods'. My family is considered to be one of the biggest blood-traitors around and, according to _them _that makes us as bad as the others; perhaps more." Her expression softened a fraction. "Not all Pure-bloods think the same, Lily. But that doesn't mean that there aren't those who do, Slytherins especially. They're vile people and you'd do good to stay away from them."

* * *

Much of their day was spent going from one shop to the next. After her sudden outburst, Marlene seemed to have deflated to her usual, mischievous self, going around the shops rearranging the products, or else placing them into unsuspecting customers cauldrons, which were used to keep purchases in. Alice had been invited to accompany them, but she had declined, seeing as she had already gotten everything she needed. They had, however, made plans to meet each other on Platform 9¾ at precisely 10 o'clock.

She had learned a lot about Marlene from their time together; like that she was the youngest of four older brothers, two of whom had already graduated, which explained her mischievous nature and dislike for anything that could even be considered remotely girlish; that her whole family had been in Gryffindor and that was where she planned to be also; and that her best friend was a boy that went by the name of James Potter, among other things.

"Just two more stops," Mrs McKinnon declared as they stepped out of Flourish and Blotts.

The girls groaned as they followed the women through the streets, which were less crowded than before; their bags of purchases were heavy and their feet ached.

Mrs McKinnon chuckled. "How about I shrink those down for you?"

"You should have done that a long time ago, Mother," Marlene huffed as Mrs McKinnon extracted her wand.

With a small flick of her wrist, the bags shrunk in size, until they were small enough to stuff into her pockets.

"Magic certainly is something," Mrs Evans said in awe.

Mrs McKinnon smiled. "Just remind me to return those to their normal size before you leave."

They continued on their way once more, following Mrs McKinnon into a small, crowded shop, with a sign over it that read: Eyelops Owl Emporium, full of all sorts of different owls and cats and frogs. They spend twenty minutes in the small shop, where Lily was having trouble deciding on what kind of animal she wanted. She had always loved cats, but Marlene suggested that an owl would be more useful, seeing as it was the Wizarding World's most preferred way of communication.

Lily finally gave in and chose a beautiful snowy, white owl. Marlene had opted for the tabby kneazle, a magical cat breed, that Lily had had her eye own, claiming that she could use one of her family's owls, giving her a small wink.

"All we need is a wand," Mrs Evans declared once they were outside, checking of something on her list.

"Only one place for that," Mrs McKinnon said as she led them toward a shop with a sign with peeling letters over it that read: _Ollivanders - Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C_.

They followed the McKinnons into the little shop, a tinkling bell sounding in the depths of the shop as soon as they had stepped inside. It was a rather tiny, gloomy shop, with only one spindly chair on which to sit on. They waited patiently, looking around; Lily could almost swear she felt the buzz of magic lingering in the dusty air.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice all of sudden, causing them to jump.

Lily turned to see an old man standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop. He approached them cautiously, looking at Mrs McKinnon.

"Ah, Elizabeth McKinnon, 10 inches, long and bendy made of Alder," he murmured, before turning to look at them. His pale eyes found hers and he leaned over the counter. "And you are?"

"Lily Evans," Lily said uncomfortably.

"I see." He walked over the counter to them, extracting a measuring tape from one of his many pockets. "And which would be your wand hand, Ms Evans?"

Lily bit her lip, looking uncertainly at Marlene.

"The hand you write with," Marlene whispered to her.

"My right hand?" Lily said, more of a question than anything, still uncertain.

"Mmm, stick out your arm then, Ms Evans." Lily obeyed and soon she was being measured from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head.

"Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another witches' wand," said Ollivander, allowing the tape to continue his measurements as he proceeded to walking around the shop, taking down boxes from the many shelves. Lily nodded, although she had little to no idea what he was talking about.

"I think, that's enough," he said and the tape measure suddenly stopped, falling into a neat pile on the floor. "Beech wood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave, if you will, Ms Evans."

Lily once again looked at her mum, who just gave her a shrug. She sighed, taking the wand and gave it a flick like she had seen Mrs McKinnon do before, feeling rather foolish. Nothing. Ollivander snatched the wand from her hand and handed her another one.

"Mahogany, phoenix feather, eleven inches. Excellent for Transfiguration. Try this one."

She felt an odd connection to the wand as if it were somehow calling to her, but still nothing happened when she waved it. Ollivander eagerly snatched the wand and replaced it for a third.

"Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. Go on, go on, try it out."

As with the last wand, she felt a connection, although different from the last and when again nothing happened, Lily convinced herself that it meant she was getting closer to finding the wand that belonged to her.

Ollivander seemed beside himself as he snatched the wand out of her hand.

"Try this one," he said extracting a beautifully ornate wand out of a blue case. "Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow, with a single unicorn hair. Excellent for charm work. Go on, give it a try."

He placed the wand into her hand and at once, Lily felt an inexplicable warming sensation running throughout her entire arm. She gave the wand a single flick and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.

She let out a relieved laugh; she was starting to worry that they wouldn't find a wand for her. She paid for her wand, counting carefully the eight galleons, before going to stand beside her mother as Marlene took her turn trying out wands. Finally, after ten minutes, Marlene was the proud owner of an eight inches, ebony dragon heartstring wand.

They left the shop, stepping out into the nearly deserted streets that were covered in the warm glow of the setting sun. The girls chatted away happily as Mrs McKinnon led them back to the Leaky Cauldron, where they would be parting ways: Lily back to the Muggle world, while Marlene would take the Floo Network, which she had explained to be a series of connected fireplaces.

"You'll write, won't you?" Marlene asked, thrusting a piece of paper onto her hands.

"Of course," Lily smiled, looking down at the paper. "What's this?"

"My address," Marlene explained. "Just give it to your owl; she'll know where to find me."

She gave her a bright smile and Lily thought she was going to hug her, when she stuck out her hand. She laughed as she shook it; apparently, hugging was too girly.

"Alright, time to go, darling," Mrs Evans said, gently touching Lily's arm.

Lily gave Marlene one last smile, before following after her mother, the now regular-sized bags weighing her down.

"See you September 1st!" Marlene called after them.

"See you September 1st," Lily mirrored, before stepping out of the shabby pub, back into the Muggle world.

* * *

**A/N: **_La-dee-dum-dee-Oh, hey you! You've made it all the way down here. Yay for both of us! Now, and I know many of you hate it when we ask for them, but I just have to so...review please?_


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